MEEKER — A wildfire sparked by a lightning strike in northwest Colorado had grown to 2,300 acres by Sunday morning, officials said.
The Hunt Fire was ignited Thursday and has grown steadily in the days since, burning in thick brush on ridges and valleys north of the Roan Plateau in Rio Blanco County, according to the Northwest Colorado Fire Management Unit.
The fire was on Bureau of Land Management lands about 26 miles southwest of Meeker.
On Saturday, hot and dry weather helped the fire grow and smoke was noticeable in Glenwood Springs and other areas east of the fire.
Several historic cabins and oil and gas facilities were at risk this weekend, and crews were working to keep the fire north of the Rio Blanco County line, south of an oil pipeline that sits to the north of the fire, west of Hunter Creek and east of West Willow Creek.
Authorities have closed lands in this area, including Big Jimmy Gulch. Crews were using two helicopters to work the fire Sunday, along with hand crews and several fire engines.
